Volkswagen and joint ventures recall 1.8 million vehicles in China

German carmaker Volkswagen and its joint ventures SAIC Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen will together recall 1,818,340 vehicles which face a potential safety problem caused by the fuel pump control unit, China's quality watchdog said in a statement today.

The recall, which will start on December 25, involves 22,394 imported Volkswagen vehicles, 810,257 domestically produced vehicles of SAIC Volkswagen, and 985,689 domestically produced vehicles of FAW-Volkswagen, according to the statement published on the official website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The affected vehicles include 859,869 Magotan models manufactured between January 2007 and November 2014, 125,820 Volkswagen CC models produced between August 2009 and November 2014, 810,257 Passat sedans made between January 2011 and September 2015. The imported models include Magotan and Volkswagen CC models.

Overheating and mechanical pressure inside the fuel pump control unit may lead to the failure of electronic components in the control unit which could cause vehicles to stall and result in potential safety risks, the country's top quality watchdog said in the statement.

The companies will inform owners of the affected vehicles via registered mail and replace the fuel pump control unit for free. Car owners can also phone the companies via a customer hotline to find out information about the recall.